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Great Month for Soft AC Stations

G

Gregg.

Soft AC is #1 in both Tampa and Miami, and the top music station in San Francisco. Now, it's made a great leap up in Seattle.

Chicago....WRME #11 (low power, Soft Oldies)

San Francisco....KISQ #3

Miami....WFEZ #1

Seattle....KSWD #4 (tie)

Tampa....WDUV #1

Jacksonville....WEZI #7

KISQ is San Francisco's top music station. KSWD has only one music station ahead of it in Seattle. People were wondering why Entercom blew up a heritage Country station, KMPS-FM, to go Soft AC with KSWD "The Sound," as in Puget Sound. Now they know!

WFEZ and WDUV are both about two ratings points ahead of the #2 stations in their markets. Only WRME Chicago saw a decline it its ratings. And let's remember, that's a Franken FM, so it's amazing that it's often in the top 10.


So... isn't it time for Soft AC to be heard in more than just a handful of markets?
 
Gregg. said:
Soft AC is #1 in both Tampa and Miami, and the top music station in San Francisco. Now, it's made a great leap up in Seattle.

Chicago....WRME #11 (low power, Soft Oldies)

San Francisco....KISQ #3

Miami....WFEZ #1

Seattle....KSWD #4 (tie)

Tampa....WDUV #1

Jacksonville....WEZI #7

KISQ is San Francisco's top music station. KSWD has only one music station ahead of it in Seattle. People were wondering why Entercom blew up a heritage Country station, KMPS-FM, to go Soft AC with KSWD "The Sound," as in Puget Sound. Now they know!

WFEZ and WDUV are both about two ratings points ahead of the #2 stations in their markets. Only WRME Chicago saw a decline it its ratings. And let's remember, that's a Franken FM, so it's amazing that it's often in the top 10.


So... isn't it time for Soft AC to be heard in more than just a handful of markets?
Click to expand...

As always, the advertisers will decide, especially in large markets with heavy agency business. These 6+ numbers look great, but if advertisers think 55+ listeners are so set in their ways and/or frugal and/or on fixed incomes, then the temptation will always be there to switch to a more lucrative format -- which in these times is invariably either some rhythmic genre, hot AC or hit country.

Of course, all it will take is the closing of the Franken-FM loophole by the FCC -- and it's just a matter of time -- and any profit the operators of WRME are making will evaporate as the station will be forced to shut down.
 
And judging by the "last songs played" on WDUV and WFEZ, after I found out they have a list now instead of just two, they're probably not all that soft either.
 
Entercom has flipped a few stations to a true AC format. At least one major radio company sees potential.

WRME continues to defy expectations.

No need to weigh in, David, and tell us it's not a demo friendly format. We get it, but there must be a way to monetize all of these ears that are tuning in!
 
Seems like people are clamoring for something to play at work that doesn't play today's hits that are so agitating that the office plants die
 
umfan said:
Entercom has flipped a few stations to a true AC format. At least one major radio company sees potential.

WRME continues to defy expectations.

No need to weigh in, David, and tell us it's not a demo friendly format. We get it, but there must be a way to monetize all of these ears that are tuning in!
Click to expand...

The WRME format that is so 65+ heavy is not going to get agency business with rare exceptions. It's tied for #1 in 65+, but 24th in 25-54.

This is very different from stations mentioned in this thread, like WFEZ or WDUV that do very well in 25-54 and write lots of business.

The revenue they may get will be from local direct accounts that want to reach seniors. They might use the MEtv tie-in to get some local dollars from advertisers that use the tv opration nationally or local accounts that take radio as an add on.
 
DavidEduardo said:
They might use the MEtv tie-in to get some local dollars from advertisers that use the tv opration nationally or local accounts that take radio as an add on.
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking, since they're doing the station "on the cheap," they may not have a unique radio sales person or people. Like Radio Disney, it's just there to promote the mother ship.
 
Uncle Kaimbridge said:
Wouldnʼt that be “Always QuEaZy Music”? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Nah, my listeners don't think so. I am doing a tribute station for WQEZ/FM "Stereo 96" in Birmingham which was on the air from 1973 to 1982 doing beautiful music. Evidently, the FM station listeners didn't think the music was "queasy" either since it was one of the top rated stations in Birmingham and #1 in the 25-54 demographic during that time. :)
 
passtheword said:
Nah, my listeners don't think so. I am doing a tribute station for WQEZ/FM "Stereo 96" in Birmingham which was on the air from 1973 to 1982 doing beautiful music. Evidently, the FM station listeners didn't think the music was "queasy" either since it was one of the top rated stations in Birmingham and #1 in the 25-54 demographic during that time. :)
Click to expand...

Beautiful Music stations often got top ratings for Women 18-34 during that time!
 
Not that all soft AC stations are playing it, but "Just the Way You Are" is NOT "lite" or "soft". WEZV is back to the usual. Yes, they also play a song by Billy Joel, I think.
 
vchimpanzee said:
Not that all soft AC stations are playing it, but "Just the Way You Are" is NOT "lite" or "soft". WEZV is back to the usual. Yes, they also play a song by Billy Joel, I think.
Click to expand...

What Billy Joel song are they playing? You have a rather extreme definition of "soft" if "Just the Way You Are" doesn't fit it. While it's not as sleepy as "She's Always a Woman," it is much closer to that Joel song than it is to "Only the Good Die Young," "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" or even "Piano Man." Would "She's Always a Woman" be played on your ideal soft AC? How about "New York State of Mind"?
 
Never mind. I saw your post in another thread and apparently there is a completely different, beat-heavy song called "Just the Way You Are" that this dinosaur doesn't know. Sorry about that.
 
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